November 18, 2019

Christ is our eternal friend

Olá!!

Animal sighting: My comp and I were walking in the street, around 11 o'clock in the morning and in the gutter we see this rat eating Cheetos......it wasn´t that huge but still, it was my first time seeing a real rat I think and it was during the day, so all in all, it was a strange and gross experience.

Monday morning I went to Sao Paulo to renew my visa for 1 year!!!!! It is strange, when I talk to my family next Thursday it will be exactly One year! Crazy..........
They don't have Thanksgiving here, but because the USA is such a big influence down here they have decorations up and some people will celebrate next week.

We met a new investigator, Cassiano, this week! He has already received the lessons about 3 years ago but lost interest, but the Sisters in the area next to us made a contact with him and sent the reference to us because he lives in our area, and we taught him about the restoration and invited him to church and he had to leave his work early to get there in the morning, so that was pretty special to see him sacrifice to come to church. He liked it and felt good there! We will teach him again this week.

With the approach of Christmas coming up, Sister Conceição had a brilliant idea to ask people that we talk to in the streets: ´´In all your life, what was the greatest gift you have received?´´ We got responses of ´´my washer machine´´, ´´my cat´´, ´´my bike´´, but one older man looked at us and with tears in his eyes said ´´my nephew´´. The power of families is real and is a blessing. We explained about the purpose of families and how we can be together forever and he looked at us again and asked if we could return and explain more. It was a really sweet experience!

We spent a few days this week visiting the Irmãs in our ward that are older and live alone, it was special talking and being a companion for them. We all need a companion to lean on and I bear my testimony that Christ is our dear companion and friend through all of our journey, from the very beginning, to the very forever.

Friday we had a lesson with our investigator Eliane and we explained to her about the 10 commandments and how they are not a blockade or barrier, but a door that really opens to greater blessings and joy. Our relief society president, Naiara shared with her and us the influence we can have on someone and the incredible feeling and gift we have to feel a love for those around us if we seek to do good.

The scripture in John 14:15 is perfect! Why do we have the commandment to love others? Why do we need to read our scriptures every single day? They may seem like little tasks or big ones that will impede our progress in the world, but as a matter of fact, they will open up the doors to greater progress and light. We will truly feel the peace of Christ and His great love more in our lives.

-Sister Giles

Shout out to Hannah and Jake celebrating 1 year!!

photo: our LD/DL joined us to interview Sabrina and Carlos

November 11, 2019

Marriage-Eternity

Another week in the mission gone and it was a good one!

Tuesday night we taught the twins João and Maria about the importance of the Sabbath day and how they can better focus on the Lord, like going to church, spending time with family, and visiting and serving others. They said they wanted to make that day a different day so they will do more activities as a family, how sweet!

We got to teach an older man named Marcio about the importance of prophets and that we have a prophet here on the earth, and we showed him a picture of President Nelson and Marcio had see him on the TV when Pres. Nelson came in September, that was neat. He also asked my companion if she was pregnant.....he is older hahaha so we both laughed and afterwards she said we really needed to start running in the mornings hahaha. 

We visited a lady in our ward who moved here from Germany when she was a baby and her house is full of pictures and trinkets from Europe, and pictures and stories of her family! Her mother, who passed away last year, lived in the time of Hitler and he had ordered every German family to do their family history work. He had different intentions, those of which were used for evil works, but for this Irmã she has information about almost all of her family so she has been able to go and take them to the temple to do their ordinances. The Spirit of family history is real and it is what connects us to so many power protections and blessings.

Thursday we visited our investigators Adelia and Eri who still need to get married, but we taught them more about temples and the unity we feel as a family through the gospel of Jesus Christ and encouraged them to put in the effort to get married so that they can enjoy all of the blessing and promises of God.

On Saturday, Sabrina and Carlos got married!!!! Whooot! They got married in the church building and the spirit was super sweet! The ward was super nice to help them out with the wedding and the bride was so nervous, she hardly smiled walking down the aisle but at the end she smiled so it was good. We are super happy for them! I felt it testify to me as she walked down the aisle and as they promised to love and serve one another, that really God wants us to make and keep promises, and that He wants to help us keep His commandments. His love is pure and the church of Jesus Christ is true! They are so cute together and can now prepare to make the covenant of baptism and prepare to be sealed for all eternity next year! Our Bishop gave the couple advice and it is the advice that President Hinckley gave, the 4 things for a successful marriage:
1) Respect for each other
2) Control your actions and serve the other always
3) Financial Honesty
4)Pray together as a couple and as a family every day

One day when we were clapping at doors, we clapped at a door and a man came out and he ended up being a member that had become less active about 5 years ago and now is going to another church, but he was open to us coming back so we went by on Thursday and read Moroni 7 with him  and his none-member wife and she really liked the Book of Mormon! They said we can come back again and meet their 2 kids! Super special!

It rained a lot this week which was nice for a break from the heat.

I know that God lives! That with our families we can be happy for all eternity if we keep true to our covenants and be worthy of the blessings of Heaven. 

Love to all!

 
-Sister Giles


Sister Conceição celebrated 1 year in the mission so we had Subway to celebrate!

November 4, 2019

Olllllllllá!!

Yup, so this week was non-stop sweating but it was a really awesome week!

I jumped over a few more cockroaches this week dead and alive and I sweated out more than I think I have since the cross country days. It is hot and humid. 

But sat morning we ran to the street market to buy fruit to make smoothies so that was fun.

Tuesday we taught the twins João and Maria who are 10 years old about the plan of happiness and they knew a lot of stuff and agreed to be baptized by the end of the year! Yay! They are so cute and the only phrase they know in English is ´´i don't care´´ .......they may or may not have asked me how to pronounce it and they started saying it to their mom, ooops.

On Friday, the youth did a master chef activity and we were in a group with our friends Daniel and Lucas. They cooked the noodles and we made the sauce and ended up winning 2nd place!! They have still been coming to seminary and love the church, we hope their parents will get married soon so that they can be baptized together as a family!

Saturday was a day very spiritually filling! We didn´t know it until night time, but that day was the holiday of the Day of Dead here in Brazil. In the morning we were passing by a park and we saw an older lady there and felt like we should talk to her. She shared with us that her husband had passed away almost 5 years ago and that she loved him very much and missed him. Then she told us about her son who died at 23, the same day he found out his new wife was pregnant with a daughter. We felt the Spirit so strong as we explained about families are for eternity and we felt the husband and son there sitting with her and wanting for her to hear the marvelous truth. We said a prayer with her and she asked for us to return another day. It was really special! 

That evening we felt like we needed to pass by a woman that we made a contact with last week, so we went over to her house and she was home. Her name is Ana and last year she visited Portugal and the Sisters there gave her a book of Mormon, she has been reading it every since and loves it! That morning she looked at the book and knew that we would pass by that day. She already knows so much about the restoration and wants for her son to hear about the gospel too.

As we ended that day, the Irmã we live with told us it was the day of the dead and that she felt a special connection to her family that day. God really wants us to learn about our families and be connected to them so that we can help and support one another. 

I love families and I know that God has a plan of happiness for each of us! I encourage you this week to read a story about one of your ancestors and pray to know how to have a better connection with them. I promise that the spirit of families is real and that you will feel an increased purpose in live and a closer connection to our Heavenly Father. 

Make this week a great one!

Happy November!! Love to all!


-Sister Giles

October 28, 2019

Nephites and Lamanites

I am liking the Spring here! The sun is hot but there is normally a good breeze and it cools down at night and in the morning. Also, my tan is coming back so that is nice.

Shout-out to my really incredible cousin, Sofia, who celebrated being cancer and fungus free after a very long, difficult 5 year journey. She is an example of strong faith, resilience, and strength in the Lord. She really exemplifies the verse ´´I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.´´

Last week Sister Costa and I said farewells as she returned home and I received my new companion, Sister Conceição! She is awesome and very funny! She is from a state close by called Meninas Giras and she talks a lot and is always very positive about life, she is great.

We worked a lot this week and one day we were able to talk to 45 people! Only about 10 people were interested in hearing more about the Book of Mormon and Sister Conceição calls these people ´´Nephites´´ while the others ´´lamanites´´. Hahhaha it is so funny because she will ask in our morning prayers that the people we meet will be Nephites, their hearts open to hearing the gospel. So we end up having days where the people are more like Lamanites and days where the people are more like Nephites. 

We were able to meet some members that haven´t been to church in some time and one of them is Yasmin, who is 15 years old and wanted to come back to church. Sunday we went by her house to walk with her to church, and after church when we were walking back with her she was super happy and was already planning to wear a skirt next Sunday. The Lord truly knows our hearts and and desires and He wants to bless us.

 A group of member missionaries in our ward went and visited a less active and his family to see if they were needing anything. The father said he felt uncomfortable coming to church because he was still not married to his girlfriend but that they are living together. He wants to get married soon so that he can worthily partake of the Sacrament and be more faithful to the Lord. I am so grateful that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is preoccupied with each one of us and wants us to sincerely thrive and grow in this life as it is a time to prepare to be worthy to live in His presence one day.

I invite each of us to think of new ways to serve those we minister to and pray to our God to know what they are needing, so that we can be better instruments in His hands this week and show that we want to follow His commandments with faith and love.

My week was really great!! my companion is super great and we laugh a lot! She has a strong accent with the ´´r´´ so I am learning how to say ´´r´´s with more force, it is cool. We made a ton of contacts and visited our couple that will get married next Saturday and be baptized the day after so they are excited! We got a new missionary leader who is excited to work and plan activities so that will be super helpful in helping our ward grow! I had to jump over a cockroach that almost tried to climb up my leg Thursday night as we were walking home, but other than that I was bug free. I am not an STL this transfer but Sister Miller told me I will be one soon...... We met a man yesterday that had visited the church one time and liked it but it had been awhile since he went. We gave him a book of Mormon and asked if we could visit him and his family and he agreed and as we were walking away, he started reading the book. it was so neat to know how much peace will come into his life because of that book. I know that it is the word of God and is an instrument in this great work!

Love you all! 

-Sister Giles


fotos: one week for the kittens! and there is a really delicious fruit here in Brasil called Jabuticaba and it looks like a giant blueberry but you only suck out the insides....it is super fun and good!

October 21, 2019

transfers!

Today is transfers and I will stay in my area! Yay! But Sister Costa is flying home tomorrow because of health problems so we are both sad, but know that the Lord is watching over her and wanted her to serve for this time.

We had a good last week together and were able to teach Rafael and his mother about the importance of baptism. His mom has been against him being baptized until he turns 18 which will be next October, but I felt inspired by the Spirit to share my experience of baptism when I was 8. After, the mom looked at us, paused and said that she accepts him being baptized but not until February which is after the holidays......Rafael was still a little disappointed but we all agreed it was better than in one year haha. It was really special to see how our experiences are meant to help and strengthen others. 

Don´t be afraid to share your experiences to others who need to know that they are not alone.

We had a family home evening last night with the family we live with and it was so great to be gathered around and hear them bear their testimonies to one another. What a blessing it is to have the gospel of Jesus Christ to connect us to one another in a sweet spirit of love and joy.

On Saturday, a woman we are teaching and she has been reading the Book of Mormon every morning to start the day in peace, and she was telling us how incredible Nephi was to be so faithful even in his hardships. 

God really does love us and wants us to be happy. I think that is what I have seen the most here on the mission, is that God has a great Plan of enduring happiness for us if we are faithful to Him in all that we do.


Look for ways to lift up others this week and keep reading the scriptures and praying as a family! Have a great week!


-Sister Giles


1) an Elder in our district is leaving to go home so he ´´died´´ haha
3) a really great couple in our ward that do so much for missionary work
4) the members we live with have a cat and it gave birth to 5 baby kittens yesterday night. They are so cute and tiny!

October 14, 2019

Growing in small ways

Olllllllá!

What I really am so grateful for is a loving Heavenly Father who knows each of His children individually and that His timing really is certain.

Because this week we saw that with this wonderful family we are teaching! The mom, Adelia, has been coming to church almost every Sunday all by herself for 3 months, so finally we were able to talk with her and she heard about seminary and she wanted her two boys to start going! We went with an Irmã to pick them up Tuesday night and they had a really great time! Then they came back on Wednesday. Then yesterday, guess who came to church?! Their WHOLE family!! It was so cute and special!! The 5 of them were all dressed up so nice and they were so happy to be there, and Sister Costa and I were freaking out and were so happy!! All they need is to be married soon and we are praying that the process will go quickly, they are such a special family.

Then on Friday, we went and taught these 10 year old twins- John and Mary- and they are so funny and love learning about the gospel! Seriously, they are so cute and want to be baptized soon. That same day it was super hot out and we were dying so we stopped to get some açai (delicious and refreshing) when we started talking with a lady who was selling jewelry nearby and we talked about the Book of Mormon and she opened up about some depression she had had a few years ago and how it had strengthened her faith and she knew that God was with her. We shared with her Ether 12:27 that God strengthens us in our weaknesses and she was so happy to read the Book of Mormon so she started there and will read during her breaks. 

It was a tender opportunity to share about the Hope we are assured of through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you this week to pray for opportunities to share the gospel in small ways, and see the joys and blessings that come forth. 

I am grateful for all of you and I know that Jesus is the Christ and we are His hands.


love, Sister Giles


these are rings made from the shell of a coconut!

October 7, 2019

Olá família e amigos!


Well, I know what you may be thinking, ´´Fangirling over Nephi?´´ But it is true, Nephi is an incredible example of courage, faithfulness, and obedience. AND the actor who plays Nephi in the Book of Mormon videos is actually a missionary in my Zone. So when we had Zone Conference on Wednesday President Miller asked him to bear his testimony about his experience making the videos and that was super inspiring!! He said 3 things that really stuck out to me:

1) The part in the 2nd video (1 Nephi 3-5) when Nephi tells his brothers the idea to go and get their gold and treasures to trade for the plates with Laban, he said that the director told him that at that moment, he received inspiration from God to give that idea. However, the plan did not go well and they had to leave their gold and treasures with Laban and still did not have the plates. Why did God´s plan fail? Why did they have to do all that for nothing? As a matter of fact, them not being able to get the plates WAS part of God´s plan. It was a plan for Nephi and his brothers to show their faith and trust in God. And they did. So the next time when Nephi went alone, he already had an experience of faith and had more confidence in the Lord and knew that this time would still go the way the Lord wanted.
2) Nephi was 15 or 16 years old at this time and his 2 older brothers were 32 or 34 so there was a big age gap and they were not exactly the nicest older brothers. So, for Nephi to stand up to them took A LOT of courage. Nephi loved the Lord and wanted to follow him faithfully and righteously in all things. Do we at sometimes have road blocks of fear or uncertainties that we feel we cannot overcome? Remember, that when we call on Christ, He is there with us to strengthen and be our aid. He is always with us if we trust in Him, like Nephi did.
3) We can all be like Nephi! Valiant, courageous, obedient, and faithful in keeping the commandments and trusting in our Heavenly Father.


On Friday, 2 youth came and did contacts at a little lake in our area with us and it was so fun!!! We had a really great time together and they even made a contact with a girl all by themselves! Her name is Kaylane and she wants to hear more about the church, so the girls did a super awesome job and they were super happy after wards! The joy of spreading the gospel is true and real! Just like Elder Uchtdorf said yesterday in his talk, we need to share the gospel with everyone in our path so that they can join the journey and path that leads to happiness forever. We can leave our comforts behind like Bilbo and explore new ways to help others on the road to discipleship. 

General Conference was really amazing and spiritually filling! At the end of Elder Holland´s talk on the Saturday session, the Portuguese translator guy began to cry and it was very spiritual. I loved Elder Uchtdorf´s talk about the Hobbit and how it is so important to share the gospel and go out of our comfort shoes. Let us follow the counsels we individually received from the Prophet and the apostles of Christ. Look for ways this week to put them into practice and keep reading the Book of Mormon and Come, Follow me to be filled with the Spirit and light of Christ!


Our investigator Adelia shared her testimony to us about eternal families and how she wants her husband and her 3 kids coming to church every Sunday with her, it was very special! I love being able to see testimonies grow and mine as well! I love the Book of Mormon and know that it is true!

Thank you for all your support and love! I love you guys! Have an awesome week!
love, Sister Giles


1&2&3) Zone conference! all the sisters, me with Sister Jeppson (she´s from California too!) and with a super fun Elder who is leaving this transfer
4&5) little Elana who celebrated 1 year and we got her a baby Mulan doll that she didn´t stop hugging, she is super adorable!
6)with Rebecca and Isabella- they are so fun!
7)thanks for sending the family shirt mom! i love it!